“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde 

Being a journalist isn’t a popular job. Even at the Wheel, a student-run newspaper, we feel that acutely; we’re often branded as disconnected from the student body or irresponsible. Sometimes, that criticism is valid. As I wrote about in the 1963 Project, the Wheel has a dubious history of marginalizing communities of color. 

In recent years, we’ve worked to remake the paper into something that makes us proud. We’ve created women-centered projects, changed questionable policies on obituaries and instituted diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. But still, something that will always be inherent to journalism is being disliked. 

Journalism is about telling uncomfortable truths. Particularly for journalists of color, speaking out can mean disproportionate online abuse and hate. But it’s more than just backlash; there’s hardship in putting your words out there — the raw vulnerability in sharing your story or telling someone else’s. 

But still, we come to our offices day after day, scratch corrections on old copies of the Wheel and start a new story. If you asked almost any editor or writer at the Wheel why they do what they do, some facet of their answer ties back to one core belief: the power of accountability. To me, accountability has been everything from leading projects that reframed Emory’s history around desegregation to recognizing the Wheel’s failures and working to better our organization. 

So this year, for the second annual issue of The Hub, we chose to center stories of accountability. Whether it was a deep-dive into mental health in athletic departments or an investigative opinion piece on the pitfalls of Title IX, every article demands and centers accountability. 

So here’s my uncomfortable truth: I am afraid. Every time I interview a source about a personal story I don’t know how I could possibly capture it in words, I am afraid. Every time I have ever written an op-ed about the most raw details of my life, I have been afraid. And I am still afraid sometimes, to be bold and brash and demand accountability and truth. But fear can be a tool. It is because of it, not in spite, that we lay these stories out for the Emory community today. 

We hope that the Emory community uses this compilation of stories to reflect on our own role in accountability — for the institutions we are a part of, for the systems around us and for ourselves. 

– Brammhi Balarajan, Editor-in-Chief

The crossroads of campus and community

The crossroads of campus and community

by Xavier Stevens

The graduate housing project blurring the lines between Emory and Druid Hills could signify future change

Thriving, here and now

Thriving, here and now

by Eva Roytburg and Ashley Zhu

The Emory Indigenous community’s desire for presence, acknowledgement and home-coming

Nothing is fair in art and war

Nothing is fair in art and war

by Sam Shafiro

After the February escalation of the war in Ukraine, Russian arts face new challenges at home and abroad.

Good luck trying to get in touch with Title IX

Good luck trying to get in touch with Title IX

by Sophia Peyser and Sophia Ling

The stories of emory’s title ix office reflect a history of ineptitude and inconsideration

It’s not a game anymore.

It’s not a game anymore.

by Claire Fenton and Jenna Daly

Athletic departments are failing their athletes, and it’s time to hold them accountable

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